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"The universal brotherhood of man is our most precious possession —
what there is of it." — Mark Twain's
Notebook
The Brotherhood of Freemasons
by Bro. Jeff Peace
Brotherhood is at the very core of everything Masonic. We go so far as to
cordially refer to one another as “brother” even in public settings such as
Internet forums and restaurants, but what do we mean when we say this? Perhaps
more importantly what should it convey to the other Mason?
We swear not to defame a brother and to defend his good name. We swear to keep
his secrets inviolable. We sear to aid and assist him. What sets our Masonic
brotherhood apart from any other that we may come across on the streets of any
city or in any small village or town?
To many Masons, Hiram Abiff defends the secrets of the brotherhood with his
life, but they never stop to think about what those secrets protect. If Hiram
gave away the secrets of a Master Mason to the thugs that were accosting him
then they would be received into the Order as true brothers. From the ritual it
is clear that they are immoral and violent men not deserving of another man’s
trust. Hiram gives up his life to preserve the integrity of the brotherhood and
to keep such men from being trusted as brothers.
Today we live in a world where brotherly love is virtually unknown. How much
more important is brotherly love to Masons today than ever before? Many young
men enter into our brotherhood believing that it is genuine and very real. It
should be.
Unfortunately, the West gate has been left unguarded for far too long and many
ruffians have made their way through it. The actions of these men cause the true
brothers to question the credibility of our brotherhood; they jeopardize
everything Freemasonry stands for.
Real brothers are not just fair-weather friends; they are dedicated to the true
spirit of Masonic brotherhood and stand by their brothers even in the darkest of
times. Anyone, even a profane, is happy to be your friend during the good times,
but they vaporize into thin air when you truly need their friendship. Freemasons
must recognize the value of their brotherhood and begin the process of healing
the many wounds inflicted upon their brothers by the ruffians. This will be a
difficult and painful process but it must be done if Freemasonry is to grow and
flourish among men of all nations. It is up to us, as Freemasons, to demonstrate
before the world the true meaning of our brotherhood and its great value among
all men.
Are you willing to be a true brother or is it too difficult and painful? Can you
stop for a moment and see the world through the eyes of another? Are you willing
to defend the brotherhood as Hiram did? Will you take the time out of your busy
life to do what is upright and moral?
These are questions every Mason should ask himself each day.
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